


We'll be There for You

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: 7 Days of Robron 2018 [4]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jack mention, M/M, Seb Mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-11 00:22:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15303345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: 7 days of Robron 2018Day 4: Robron + hurt/comfort + “Breathe.”





	We'll be There for You

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, this is super late but my energy and inspiration (and motivation) levels took a serious nose dive this week and I changed my mind about 50 times on what I wanted to write. Obviously I won’t be able to finish the other 3 days fics in a little under 3 hours... but I WILL finish them in the next few days. So keep an eye out for those if you’re interested.

“Mum, do you have a minute?” Aaron asked Chas as he walked up to the bar with Robert and Liv following close behind. “We’ve got some news.”

“They have news.” Liv said, taking a seat on a free barstool. “I just had to come along for moral support.”

“Moral support? What’s going on? Are you ill? Is Seb ill?”

“No, no Seb is fine. Rebecca took him with her to her support group meeting.” Robert explained.

“And neither of us is ill either.” Aaron added.

“Well go on then, spit it out.”

Aaron looked at Robert who nodded and both men beamed at Chas.

“We’re getting married.” Aaron told her.

“That’s your news?” Charity, who’d been listening in on the conversation, asked. “You’re already married aren’t you? That’s what we had that whole do in here for last year!”

“Yeah… I don’t say this often but… Charity is right.” Chas said, looking part confused and part apologetic.

“Well we never got round to making it official. So that’s what we want to do now.”

“Aaron proposed last night.” Robert told them. “With my watch” He said and pushed up his sleeve slightly to show the watch.

“Well I could hardly use your ring, could I?” Aaron said, trying and failing to look annoyed, the massive grin on his face giving him away.

“Soft lad even got it engraved.” Liv added. “Show them, Rob.”

Robert smiled and took off his watch and handed it to Chas.

“Love always Aaron X.” Chas smiled. “Aww my son the romantic.”

“Give over mum.” Aaron said, blushing slightly but still not able to stop smiling.

“So when is the big day then?” Charity asked. “Or is it going to be another one of those 24 hours’ notice things?”

“No we want to do it properly this time. We do everything by the book.” Aaron said, taking a sip from the pint his mum had put on the bar for him.

“First time for everything.” Liv joked and laughed when Aaron glared at her.

“We’re thinking August.” Robert said, getting the conversation back on track. “Before Liv starts uni - .”

“I haven’t even decided yet if I’m going to uni!” Liv interrupted.

“Before Liv starts uni and the weather is still nice.” Robert continued, ignoring Liv’s comment. “That’ll give us enough time to get the official stuff sorted and well… plan a wedding.”

“Well I’m happy for you both. Come here.” Chas said, rounding the bar and pulling them both in for a hug.

“I’ll officially be Seb’s dad too and be able to actually see him and make decisions for him when he lands himself in hospital again.” Aaron said, directing the last part at Robert.

“Well hopefully that particular part of the deal won’t be necessary any time soon. We’ve both seen too much of that place lately.”

Aaron nodded and turned back to his mum.

“Don’t tell anyone yet though, nobody knows yet and we want to tell everyone ourselves.”

“Oops…” Charity said, holding up her phone. “Dingle girls group chat. Belle says congratulations.”

“But that doesn’t matter, does it Diane? I can never compete with the great Jack Sugden.” Doug said as he and Diane walked into the pub mid argument.

“Jack was a good man. He was…. 10 times the man you are!” Diane replied and Aaron felt Robert stiffen next to him.

He grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Hello Diane, what can I get you?” Chas asked, trying to distract Diane and stop her shouting at Doug in the middle of the pub.

“Oh a white wine please Chas. He’s paying.” She nodded at Doug. “It’s the least he can do.”

“Everything alright Doug?” Liv asked innocently which kicked off another rant from Diane.

“Hey Diane have you heard the good news yet?” Charity interrupted. “These two are tying the knot. Again.” She said, pointing at Robert and Aaron.

“Really? Oh pet that’s wonderful.” She hugged both Robert and Aaron. “Your dad would be so proud, pet. Such a shame he can’t be there on your big day.”

Robert forced a smile and nodded.

“Yeah but everyone we love will be there. We might even get Seb a little matching tux.” Aaron said in an attempt to get Diane’s attention on him.

“Oh that would be so lovely. You had a suit too, you know, when you were little. You dad showed me the photos.” She told Robert. “I might even still have it somewhere between his things. I’ll have a look for it.”

“No that’s alright Diane, I’m sure we can find something for Seb to wear. You don’t have to go through all that trouble.” Aaron said quickly.

“Oh it’s no bother. She loves going through Saint Jack Sugden’s things. It’s like sharing your house with a ghost. A ghost that’s always going to be better than you. In her eyes anyway.” Doug cut in. “Congrats lads, I hope things work out better for you two than they did for us.”

“Oh cry me a river Douglas.” Diane started. “Jack was a good man and a good husband and a good father to his children. I’d have him back in a shot if I could.”

“He wasn’t.” Robert said softly.

“You what pet? Are you alright? You look a little pale.”

Robert took a deep breath.

“You keep saying dad was such a good man, but he wasn’t. Maybe to you but not to me.”

“Oh I know you two had your difficulties pet but he did love you. He was your dad.”

“No. He hated me. He hated who I was. Who I am.”

“Rob...” Aaron said softly, rubbing Robert’s back as he spoke. “Come on, let’s go home. Don’t do it like this.”

Robert shook his head.

“I have to. If I don’t do it now, I never will.” He said and turned back to Diane. “I was never good enough for him. He always chose Andy over me. I didn’t want to work on the farm like Andy, I didn’t blindly follow his orders like Andy and I wasn’t straight like Andy!”

“Your dad was no homophobe.”

“No? Do you know what he did when he caught me with a boy in my room? He leathered me Diane! I was 15 and he leathered me for liking boys! He made me hate myself and made me believe liking boys was wrong! It took me 15 years to be honest with myself! Fifteen years! To let myself be who I am! To be ok with loving who I love, regardless of gender! You say he’d be proud of me? He wouldn’t! He’d hate the love of my life because he’s a man!”

Diane looked shocked and thankfully had the sense not to say anything.

“He’d hate me.” Robert said and Aaron’s heart broke seeing the tears in his eyes. “I have to go.” He pushed past Diane and ran out the pub.

“Did you know about this?” a dumbfounded Chas asked Aaron who nodded.

“I… I don’t believe this. That’s… that’s not the Jack I know.” Diane stammered.

“Why would he lie about something like this Diane?!” Aaron asked and instead of waiting for an answer he left the pub looking for his husband.

When he didn’t see him in the street he figured he’d gone to the cemetery to talk to Sarah. Something he often did when he was upset and Aaron pretended he didn’t know about.

“Aaron? Hi… uhm… just tell me to mind my own business but uhm… well… this might sound strange but… have you and Robert had an argument?” Jessie asked carefully, as she walked up to him outside the pub. “I don’t mean to stick my nose in or anything but he just ran past me to the house and didn’t even stop to say hello… He looked upset…”

“He’s home? Right, thanks.” Aaron said, running past her to the Mill before realising the poor woman had no idea what was going on. “Don’t worry, he’ll be alright. Bit of a situation with his step mum in the pub. I’m sure they’ll tell you all about it in there.” He called out to her and turned back around and jogged home.

He found Robert sitting outside their front door, back to the wall and keys in the lock. He was pulling at his collar trying to open his shirt further and breathing heavily.

Aaron dropped to his knees in front of Robert and grabbed his hands.

“Hey, hey, look at me. Come on. Breathe. Slowly. Deep breaths.”

Robert shook his head and kept tugging on his shirt.

“Yes, come on. You’re having a panic attack. Try to calm down. You’re ok. You’re ok.” He undid some more buttons on Robert’s shirt and tried to get him to focus on him and his breathing.

Slowly Robert’s breathing returned to normal and Aaron moved to sit next to him.

“Better?” He asked and Robert nodded.

“Sorry…”

“What for?”

Robert shrugged.

“Causing a scene like that…”

Aaron bumped his shoulder against Robert’s.

“You’re hardly the first person to do so. That pub has seen more drama than any other place in the country. Maybe even the world.”

“Still. I shouldn’t have said anything. I should have just kept my mouth shut.”

“That’s what I told myself too. Over Gordon. But when I finally told someone. Told you. It made it easier to tell everyone else. And the police.”

“That was different. Diane will hate me. She didn’t even believe me.”

“She does believe you. She’s shocked and confused… and Charity yelled at her saying you have no reason to lie about that and that Jack Sugden wasn’t the saint she thinks he was.”

The two men looked up and saw Liv standing in the doorway.

“You alright, Rob?”

“Yeah… I think so.”

She sat down on Robert’s other side.

“I’m sorry to hear about your dad. He sounds like an asshole.”

Robert smiled.

“Yeah. Yeah he kind of was.”

“Did you ever speak to that boy again your dad caught you with?”

“No… He worked on my family’s farm… and my dad fired him. Never saw him again after that day.”

“Do you remember his name? We could try find him on Facebook or something.”

“No that’s alright. It’s been over 15 years. It’s in the past.” Robert said and rubbed a hand over his face. “I can’t believe I just did that. I just… couldn’t take it anymore.”

“I can imagine. I mean I get sick of her blathering on about how great of a man Jack Sugden was and I didn’t even know him. And now I know what he did to you, I’m glad I didn’t.”

“Yeah me too.” Aaron agreed. “I don’t think I would’ve been his biggest fan.”

“The feeling would probably be mutual.” Robert said and tried to imagine his father meeting Aaron and Liv.

“Come on.” Aaron said, getting up from the floor and holding out his hand to Robert. “Let’s go inside and order some pizza.”

“That’s the best idea he’s had in a long time.” Liv said, getting up as well and helping Aaron pull Robert to his feet and into a hug.

“Just remember, we’re a family and we love you.” Aaron said and kissed Robert for emphasis. “No matter what happens, we’ll deal with it together. You, me, and Liv.”


End file.
